


It'll Be Okay

by Cornbread5287



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-25 18:50:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4972318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornbread5287/pseuds/Cornbread5287
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick and Daryl go on a routine run for supplies. When things take a turn for the worst, and Rick ends up hurt, the two hole up in an apartment building together. Rickyl fluff ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pain and Piggy-Back Rides

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by my amazing and wonderful friend. (Her tumblr is drowninrocknroll. Go check her out.)
> 
> My second fanfic ever. My first multi-chapter fanfic. :)

_Runs usually weren’t that dangerous_ , Rick thought bitterly, clutching his side and leaning against the door of a one-room apartment. Sure, you had to be careful, and if you didn’t pay attention you could get pinned down, but it usually wasn’t anything major. Rick had had no problem with him and Daryl going on a run for formula by themselves. If he was being honest with himself, Rick would do just about anything with just him and Daryl.

He had actually considered telling the redneck how he felt about him on this run. It had been a long time coming; it had been months since Lori had died, and even before that, Rick had been attracted to Daryl. Sometimes, he had almost convinced himself that Daryl felt the same way… almost. Still though, whether Daryl shared the attraction or not, Rick figured he owed it to the hunter to come clean. Daryl had always been honest with him, after all.

But this run had gone bad. This run had turned dangerous.

It had happened so fast. Rick figured the herd must have been halfway across the small town they had ended up in when Daryl and Rick first went into the grocery store to see what they could find. They had made it out with a few overlooked cans of pineapples and not much else. They decided to leave the car parked out of site in case they ran into any unfriendly people, so they had walked down the street for five minutes looking for the daycare that Jean (a new arrival at the prison) had said was untouched before hearing them. In seconds, they were surrounded.

And then things had gotten even worse.

Daryl had pointed toward an alley with a fire escape leading to a small landing and a door. He and Rick darted across the street, Rick climbing the ladder first since he could shoot and climb at the same time, and then cover Daryl once he was up top.

That plan went to shit in a heartbeat. One minute, Rick was shooting over Daryl’s head from the fire escape they were climbing. Next minute, wham- a walker had fallen out of a window right on top of Rick, sending him crashing down the ladder and onto the fence. Rick had felt the post spear his side, had let out a howl of pain, had seen Daryl’s eyes go wide with shock before focusing on taking out the walkers around Rick.

Rick tried twice to tell him to leave, to go back to the prison, or get up the ladder, or something. But every time he opened his mouth only sounds of pain would escape. Daryl managed to get Rick off the fence- the post from the fence had apparently taken a chunk out of Rick’s side, but hadn’t kept him trapped- and lean him against the side of the fence, keeping his shoulder pressed into Rick’s chest to keep him standing.

“Daryl… go” Rick managed, trying to stop the pathetic whimpering that had started to escape his lips.

“No. Rick, no. Just… let me think.” Daryl shot another walker with his crossbow and notched another bolt. “Okay… here,” He turned, his back against Rick’s chest.

“You’re… giving me a piggy-back ride?” Rick nearly laughed. He might have, if he wasn’t dying from blood loss, which, he noticed, was attracting more of their undead friends.

“Damn it, Rick, come on,” Daryl yelled, putting a bolt through a particularly fast one headed their way. Rick did as he was told, biting his tongue until he tasted blood to keep from screaming as he lifted his arms, pulling at his side. The blood had wet the entire side and front of his shirt, and was dripping down his leg off the bottom of his jeans. Yeah, this was bad.

Daryl hefted him up, causing Rick to gasp in pain. Daryl crossed over to the ladder Rick had fallen from and started climbing just as the majority of the heard was within reach.

Daryl had basically fallen through the window onto the floor, Rick falling off his back and landing gracelessly on his ass. Daryl scanned the room, crossbow up.

“Some kinda apartments, I guess,” he mumbled, crossing the room to close the door, and Rick noticed that one of the wings on Daryl’s vest was rust colored from Rick’s blood. He walked back over to Rick, who hadn’t moved at all. Rick wasn’t even sure he was breathing; apparently, neither was Daryl. He crouched down beside Rick, getting much closer than was his usual style.

“M’okay,” Rick whispered. Daryl just looked at him.

“Here,” he grunted, standing up and taking off his vest and sleeveless shirt. He bent back down and carefully put the shirt against Rick’s side, grabbing one of Rick’s hands and putting it over the dirty cloth. He stood back up and put his vest back on. Rick, for his part, was mostly just focused on pain in his side and the skip in his heartbeat as he stared at Daryl’s sculpted chest. Daryl adjusted his vest so that it was covering a particularly long and ragged scar and- _oh. He thinks that’s why I’m staring. Shit_.

“Do you think you can make it to the door?” Daryl asked, looking away and ducking his head. Rick made a mental note to fix his little screw up later.

“Think so,” he grunted, scooting himself across the room awkwardly with one arm. Daryl stayed beside him, one hand hovering over his shoulder the whole way.

“I’m gunna go clear the rest of this place… well, this floor at least. You stay next to the door. I’ll knock three times when I come back, okay?”

“I don’t think-“ Rick began, but Daryl shut him up with a hard stare.

“You need somethin’ else besides a sweaty shirt on that wound, or you’re gunna be one of them soon. You can’t move. I can. I’ll clear the place and find somethin’ to help and be back soon.” Rick swallowed hard.

“Be careful, Daryl.”

“You might wanna knock back when I come back. Just in case.” _In case you’re a walker_ , he didn’t say. Daryl ducked his head again and opened the door slowly, crossbow up. Rick shut it behind him and leaned against it, gun in hand.

That had been nearly two hours ago, if Rick’s watch was keeping time right.

Rick was just about to doze off, staring at the wall, his body weak from blood loss, when three quick knocks startled him. He rolled to the side, ignoring the raging fire of pain it caused in his side, and knocked back.

Daryl came back in, sweating but looking fairly pleased. “Found all kinds of shit,” he shut the door and slid a duffle bag off his shoulder, taking items out of it and putting them on the floor between the two men. “Found this bag in the room next door- lucky, too, cause I hit the jackpot. We got penicillin, bandages, half a tube of Neosporin, water, and look, Rick,” Daryl turned the bag upside down and _holy shit_ , there was a bottle, a pacifier, and cans upon cans of formula, enough to last at least two months.

“Somebody left in a hurry and just left this stuff here! I’ll have to go back, there are clothes and diapers, too, and a bigger crib if we can get it to fold up.” Daryl looked excitedly at Rick, and Rick tried to speak, he really did. He was so, so happy that Daryl had found food for his baby. But he couldn’t make a sound; couldn’t even open his mouth, really. He just wanted to sleep.

“Oh shit, Rick! Here,” Daryl grabbed the medicine and forced a couple of pills into Rick’s mouth, making him choke. He managed to get them down, though.

Daryl helped him away from the wall he’d been leaning on and laid him down. He started to unbutton Rick’s shirt. He must’ve seen the look on Rick’s face, because he turned a little red around the collar and said, “I’m gunna have to dress that.”

The last thing Rick remembered was blinding pain as Daryl pulled away both of their shirts from his sticky wound, and then everything went dark.


	2. Actions

Rick woke up very sore and confused. He opened his eyes slowly and turned his head and- _oh._

His head was resting on Daryl’s thigh.

The hunter was sleeping sitting up, his back against the door. The crossbow was leaned against the wall beside him. Rick smiled a little at how much younger his face looked as he slept- he had often watched Daryl sleep, loving the way he looked when he wasn’t tense and guarded. Rick forced himself to look away, reminding himself that staring at sleeping men was probably a bit on the creepy side.

He looked down at his side instead. There were clean bandages around his bare torso. The wound was barely throbbing now- thank God for Neosporin- but Rick decided sitting up would still be a bad idea.

He looked out the window, trying to guess the time, but all he could tell for sure was that it was dark.

“You hungry?” Came Daryl’s soft voice, making Rick jump, and yeah, his side was _definitely_ not okay with movement.

“Starving,” he mumbled, trying to calm his breathing. Daryl never opened his eyes, just reached out beside him and picked up an open can of pineapples from beside his crossbow. It was half empty.

“Don’t know how long we’ll have to stay here. Figured we’d ration what we have ‘till I can go through the rest of the rooms in here.”

Rick nodded, tipping the can up and drinking the sweet fruit slowly, savoring it.

“Thought you was gunna die,” Daryl said suddenly. Rick slowly set the can down and looked at the hunter’s face- his eyes were open now, alert. He ducked his head and looked away from Rick.

“You was sweatin’ and I thought it might have been a fever. Couldn’t tell, since it was hot in here.” Daryl glanced down at the hand that was closest to Rick’s head and- _oh_. He was clutching his knife.

“I’m okay, Daryl. I was losing too much blood but… I think I’ll be okay. You know I’d tell you if…”

“I know.”

Daryl didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Rick was about to reach for his food again when he spoke.

“You said stuff in your sleep,” Daryl said suddenly, and _shit,_ because Rick knew what he’d been thinking about right before he passed out and if he’d said-

“You said my name…and stuff.”

Yep, this was bad.

“Uh... Daryl, I-“

“Which one of em told you?”

Rick blinked. “Told… what?”

“Maggie or Carol. They’re the only ones… that knew…”

Rick sat up, gasping in pain and clutching his side. Daryl twisted toward him, putting one arm around Rick’s back.

“Shit, Rick,” he whispered, his face very close to Rick’s. “You’re too pale... lay back down, we don’t gotta talk no more.”

Rick looked Daryl in the eye, saw the concern and something else- embarrassment?- and he couldn’t take it any more. Daryl had to know. If he felt the same way about Rick, good. Amazing. But even if he didn’t Rick couldn’t hide it any more.

“Before… while I was asleep, I guess…” Rick paused to catch his breath, annoyed that his injury seemed to be taking so much out of him. Daryl was basically holding all his weight up; Rick leaned back into the hunter’s strong arm and looked at him. “I was thinking about… you. About what I feel… for you. I…” Rick shook his head. He had never been good with words, had never managed to get the right things out at the right time. Actions, though. Actions he could do.

He leaned up, using every bit of his strength, and kissed Daryl.

The redneck’s eyes widened, his lips parted with shock. Rick thought he felt Daryl’s arm tremble around his back.

And then Daryl seemed to get with the program.

He closed his eyes, and Rick did too, thinking he should’ve started out that way, but oh well. Daryl cautiously pressed his tongue to Rick’s lips once, twice, as if asking permission. Rick obliged, letting Daryl in.

The hunter slowly lowered Rick to the floor, never breaking the kiss. He leaned over Rick, holding himself up in an awkward half-pushup. Rick stopped clutching his own side in favor of grabbing a fistful of Daryl’s vest, pulling him closer. Daryl pulled away suddenly, breaking the kiss at last, breathing hard. He stood on his knees beside Rick’s head.

“Daryl,” Rick gasped, recognizing the look in Daryl’s eyes, knowing he was about to bolt. “Don’t. I- I’m sorry, Daryl, I-“

“Get some sleep. I’ll come back,” Daryl said as he stood and grabbed his bow. He was halfway out the door when he stopped, not looking at Rick, and said, “Eat. You’re too pale.”

And then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me feedback! I'm still new at writing fanfiction so let me know how I'm doing! Be honest, I can take it! :)


	3. No Way Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I told everyone that I would update Saturday, but yesterday was so busy. I'm sorry for the late update! We're halfway through, though!  
> This chapter is really short but full of action (at least, I hope so.)  
>  Please don't kill me for the ending of this chapter.

Rick had forced down the pineapples, slept fitfully for about three hours, changed his own bandages just for something to do (he knew he shouldn’t be wasting them, but if he didn’t do something, he was going to go insane), re-packed the bag that Daryl had turned upside down last night, and had managed to get up and hobble to the kitchen part of the little one- room apartment he was confined to before he let himself worry. He was sitting in the only chair at the small table, taking deep breaths and holding his side, when he heard a faint shuffling behind the door.

 _Daryl,_ he thought, but no. Daryl wouldn’t be making that much noise. Rick got up slowly, his hand on the butt of his gun, and made his way to the door, pressing his ear against it. The shuffling seemed random, not really footsteps, but almost. It had to be a walker.

Rick frowned. Daryl cleared this floor last night, hadn’t he? Rick opened the door slightly and looked out.

 _Ah,_ he thought, _that’ll do it._ There was a staircase in front of the door and a few feet to the left. Rick guessed Daryl had gone up the stairs when he left, because the walker was coming from down the stairs. Rick hesitated- he really wasn’t in any shape to fight- but he could only see one. It was falling over basically every step on its way up. Rick thought about Daryl coming back to this room, not knowing there was a walker nearby, and decided that yes, he’d go take care of it and go straight back to his room.

He eased out of the room slowly, pulling the door up but not shutting it. The walker saw him as he walked over to the top of the stairs. He looked at the set of stairs leading up- all clear. He looked back down at the walker that was climbing up towards him. It was within arm’s reach now; he pulled his knife off his belt, leaning down, nearly gagging at the smell of the walker’s breath as it growled at him. He raised the knife, and just as he swung it down, the walker swung its rotting arm out, catching him right over his bandages.

Rick couldn’t prevent the shout of pain that tore from his throat; he stumbled from his awkward leaning position and fell down the stairs, catching himself on the railing a few steps below the walker.

“Son of a _bitch,_ ’ he grumbled as it turned and came after him. He had managed to hold on to his knife when he fell; he plunged it into the thing’s ugly skull and slumped against the railing, catching his breath.

Then he heard moaning, and _of course,_ he thought, looking down the stairs to see that three more walkers had heard the commotion and decided to join the party.

They were far enough away that Rick thought he could make it back to his room before they caught him. He took a deep breath and half walked, half crawled up the stairs.

He kept looking back, seeing how fast the walkers behind him were climbing, so he wasn’t looking when he made it to the top of the stairs.

His hand, reaching out for another step, fell to the floor. Rick lurched forward, snapping his head around, and _oh shit, oh shit, oh horse shit, crap, no._

Two more walkers had appeared in front of him. Rick could see another at the top of the flight of stairs that lead up, and if decided to fall down those stairs, he would have yet another new friend to play with.

Rick managed to stand up, but that was about all he could do. He side-stepped the walker closest to him, backing along the wall. He knew he was putting himself in a corner, but he had no choice.

He dropped his knife, trading it for his Colt. He grit his teeth as he lifted his gun, the movement pulling at his already throbbing side. He shot the two walkers closest to him, and _oh, yay,_ the other three were at the top of the stairs now. Rick shot one of them in the forehead, but his next shot caught the second one in the neck. He was losing strength; his side had started bleeding again. He couldn’t hold his gun still.

He sank to the floor as the two walkers from below started toward him, the one from above finally crashing down the stairs behind them.

He had no way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I love hearing from y'all!


	4. I Like-Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that last cliffhanger. Enjoy this next chapter! If I counted right, we have this chapter and then one more... and then this fic is over! Yay? No? Shut up so you can read? Okay.

Rick watched the walker closing in. His heart ached for Carl and Judith, and he hoped that Daryl would take care of them for him.

There was a dull _thwack_ , and the walker closest to him fell right across his feet, an arrow sticking out of its head. Rick watched with wide eyes as Daryl took out the others with his knife, making short work of them. He stomped over to Rick and jerked the walker off his legs, and yeah, he was pissed.

“Dar-“

“Get up,” Daryl growled, cutting him off. His voice was rough, but his hands were gentle as he helped Rick to his feet. They hobbled back into the apartment they had been using, and Daryl sat Rick on the floor by the door.

“Stay,” he said sharply, stabbing a finger into Rick’s chest. He left the door open, probably to make sure Rick didn’t do anything else stupid, and went to retrieve his arrow. He came back in and shut the door, slinging a backpack off his shoulder to the floor.

“Hey, you found another bag,” Rick began, but Daryl wasn’t going to be distracted.

“What were you doing, Rick? What the hell? You’re _hurt._ ”

“Yeah, well, I thought you had already gotten rid of ‘em out there,” Rick snapped. As soon as the words left his lips, he wished he could take them back. Daryl ducked his head and looked away, even angrier than before.

“Shit, Daryl, I’m sorry. Don’t be pissed at me, okay? I just… you’d been gone a while, and I heard somethin’ movin’. I’m sorry,” Rick said, clutching at his side. Daryl must have noticed; he dug in the bag and got out the bandages and Neosporin. He dropped to Rick’s injured side and began stripping the now blood-soaked bandages off.

“Ain’t mad at you,” he said quietly, focusing on changing the bandages. “Mad at myself. Ran off last night and didn’t even clear the bottom floor. Didn’t clear none of the floors ‘cept this one. Guess I didn’t think about ‘em comin’ up the stairs or fallin’ from the floor above. I just ran to the roof and killed the ones in my way and left the rest. S’ my fault. ‘Bout got you killed.” His voice cracked on the last word, and Rick put his hand over Daryl’s where it rested on his now-exposed side, just above the wound from the fence. He had started bleeding again, though it wasn’t as bad as last night. Daryl didn’t look at him; he just sat there, breathing hard, frozen in place.

“Daryl, I… I’m sorry I kissed you. I freaked you out. I… I know we probably can’t just forget it, and if you don’t trust me to be alone with you, I understand…”

Daryl’s eyes snapped up to Rick’s.

“Trust you,” he said, maintaining eye contact. “Liked it. Kissing. Just didn’t know what to do with it. Only people I’ve ever kissed like that… we was drunk. And I don’t gotta be drunk to like kissin’ you and I ain’t never had that.” He looked away again, busying himself with wrapping Rick’s wound.

“You… liked it?” Rick couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Daryl’s face was red. He didn’t respond, so Rick tried a different route.

“You said you kissed other people like that… who?”

“One of Merle’s girlfriends once. Was like, fifteen I think. Then… her brother. Same night. And on my eighteenth, I got hammered and kissed everyone at the party on a dare. Don’t member much of that one.” He got Rick’s side wrapped up and finally looked back at Rick. “What do you want from me, Rick?”

The question startled him at first, but then Rick put two and two together. Daryl thought he wanted someone to fool around with, maybe. Someone to get off on and not care about.

“I want… Shit, Daryl, I’m not good with words and shit.” Daryl snorted and looked down, biting his thumb. “I just… what I feel for you, it ain’t just kissing. Although, that was pretty awesome,” Rick grinned, and he thought he saw Daryl’s lips quirk up a bit. “I’ve felt… I dunno. An attraction, I guess, to you since I first saw you. When you chucked those squirrels at my head,” he chuckled at the memory, and this time he was sure Daryl smiled, if only for a moment.

“You deserved it,” he joked quietly, and Rick chuckled again.

“Maybe. But Daryl, you’re more than just a friend to me. Would it be too ‘high school’ of me to say that I like-like you?” Rick could feel the blush on his cheeks, and he wondered offhandedly if that meant he hadn’t lost as much blood as he thought he had.

“Dunno. Never had that happen to me before,” the redneck said with a shrug. He still wouldn’t look at Rick, but he was still close beside him, so Rick took that as a good sign.

“Well, it’s happening now. So what are you gunna do about it, Daryl?”

Daryl looked at him then, fear and uncertainty in his eyes. But there was something else there as well. He stared at Rick for a long moment. Then his expression changed, almost challenging, and Rick could almost hear the “ _this”_ that never made it off his lips.

Daryl leaned in and smashed his mouth to Rick’s, rough and hungry. Rick responded immediately, twisting and coming up on his knees so that he and Daryl were both kneeling, facing each other. Rick put one hand on the back of Daryl’s head and felt him stiffen for a second. Rick was about to pull away when Daryl leaned into him, deepening the kiss and resting his hands on Rick’s hips.

Daryl finally pulled away when Rick’s breaths were coming sharp and ragged. Rick slumped back to the floor, closing his eyes. His side was on fire but he was smiling; the pain from his injury had nothing on the joy filling his chest. Daryl had kissed him. _Holy shit!_

Daryl pulled the new backpack towards them and dug out a pack of cheese crackers and a bottle of Pepsi. He shoved them at Rick, making him open his eyes.

“Eat and drink all a’ that. Need some of your strength back. Those walkers have moved on. Soon as you’re strong enough we’ll load up our stuff and get back to the prison. Everyone’s probably worried.” Rick looked at him, looking for a sign that he was going to bolt again. Daryl knew exactly what he was thinking.

“I ain’t leavin’ man. Just eat, okay?” Daryl turned back to the backpack, pulling out a pack of crackers for himself. He pulled the half-empty bottle of water out of the duffle bag he’d brought back the night before. They ate in silence; Rick barely took his eyes off Daryl and Daryl barely took his eyes off the floor. Rick had pretty much given up the hope of conversation when Daryl finally spoke.

“That scar on my chest, the one you saw last night,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence but keeping his eyes downcast. “That was from when I kissed that girl’s brother. My dad found out somehow. Merle wasn’t there, so I don’t know how it got back to him. Just came home that night and he yelled about his pansy son bein’ a faggot. Hit me with a beer bottle, hard enough to break it.” He pulled his vest closer around his chest, as if remembering was agitating the old injury. “Done somethin’ real stupid after that. Got mad and told him I liked it better than I liked kissin’ the girl. Got another scar on my hip to prove it.”

Rick set the Pepsi down, having already finished his crackers but suddenly wishing he hadn’t; his stomach was turning.

“Daryl, you don’t have to worry about that now. Back at the prison, no one would think anything like that. Our friends, our family… they love us.”

Daryl nodded. “Carol and Maggie know. About me, I mean. Maggie said she could tell I like you from the way I look at you. I told Carol, kinda accidentally. But she wasn’t surprised.”

Rick’s heart went into overdrive. “You... wait. Do you mean that you…”

Daryl looked at him and grinned, one of his rare, genuine grins that made Rick feel lightheaded.

“I guess I like-like you.”

Rick laughed.

“Go to sleep,” Daryl said. “I’ll take first watch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost over, guys. What do you think? Leave me some comments! :)


	5. It'll Be Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! A bit long, but tied up some loose ends. Thank you for all the comments and kudos! It means the world to me to have y'all tell me what you think! I hope you enjoyed this fic. You guys are the best!

Rick woke up around midday the next day. Daryl was pacing the room, looking tired but ready to move. When Rick tried to scold him for not waking Rick for his shift, Daryl brushed him off.

“Let’s get the car packed,” he said, waving Rick off.

Rick didn’t want to argue, so he agreed, and they started getting ready to head back. Daryl fetched the car (after making Rick swear on Carl and Judith that he would _not_ leave the room until Daryl was back) and they went through the rest of the building. Most of the occupants had either left in a hurry or died here, and they made a good haul. Clothes, food, diapers, toys, and a new crib for Judy. Candy for Michonne and Carl. Some clothes that looked like they might fit Glenn and a couple of the other newcomers at the prison. Simple medicines for Hershel. So many cans of food that Rick almost felt guilty for taking it all. Almost. Rick even found a couple of boxes of tampons, which he buried in the bottom of a suitcase they had found with a red face.

They spent most of the day loading the car. It was almost dark by the time they were done, and Rick was spent. He was feeling better, but his side still oozed blood sometimes, and he was nowhere near 100%. Daryl made the call to stay the night and head back first thing in the morning.

They holed up in the same apartment, Rick opting for the pull-out bed against the far wall instead of the floor. They had stripped the sheets earlier and packed them in the car, so Rick was lying on a bare mattress, watching Daryl pace. It wasn’t really a nervous pace; he was just looking for something to keep him awake.

“Hey, Daryl.”

“Mmm.”

“Push the table up against the door, please?”

Daryl stopped and looked at him, confused. Rick just looked back, using his best puppy face. It worked. Daryl had the table against the door in three seconds flat.

“Now come here,” Rick grinned, and Daryl caught on.

“Somebody’s gotta take watch, Rick, and you look dead on your feet.”

“So do you,” Rick countered, and Daryl looked away.

“M’ fine,” he murmured.

“Daryl we cleared the building. The car is hidden but it's close by. We can make it back down the fire escape if we need a quick way out. The door is locked, and if anyone breaks it down we’ll hear it. You need to sleep as much as I do. You’ve been awake for two days.”

Daryl sighed. “Rick…”

“If you stay awake, so am I,” he threatened. He made to get off the bed, but Daryl stopped him.

“Okay, okay! Fine.” He started to settle onto the floor, but Rick shook his head and patted the bed next to him.

Daryl froze. His gaze darted from Rick to the door and back again.

“Hey,” Rick said softly, “it’s just sleeping, Daryl. I didn’t mean… Just sleeping, okay?”

Daryl swallowed and nodded, blush creeping up his neck. Rick was sure his own cheeks were pink as well. Daryl came over and sat on the bed beside Rick. They both laid back. Rick made sure Daryl had space, not touching him.

Daryl had his hands behind his head, looking at the ceiling. Rick studied him; his expression was unreadable, and Rick knew he’d talk when he was ready. Sure enough, only a few moments passed before he spoke.

“So… are you wantin’ like, a thing between us?” he said in a rush. The blush was back. Rick smiled a little. _He’s cute when he blushes._

“Is that what you want?”

Daryl contemplated a moment, and Rick’s heart began to race. What if Daryl didn’t want any of this? The joy Rick had felt earlier was now a pit of nervousness in his stomach.

“I don’t want it to just be a fling,” Daryl said quietly. “Had some a’ those before. Didn’t mean nothin’. I don’t want that… you mean somethin’.”

Rick’s joy came back full force. He turned onto his side facing Daryl and slowly reached out a hand. He felt Daryl’s ab muscles tense when he rested his arm there, but Daryl didn’t move.

“I want this to be somethin’. I… I have strong feelings for you, Daryl. I wanna see where it goes.”

“Like a relationship,” Daryl supplied the word. He looked at Rick then, reading Rick’s face like he’d always been able to do. He’d know if Rick was playing him or lying to him. Rick met his gaze steadily.

“Yeah. I want a relationship,” he said, never looking away from Daryl’s gaze. Daryl must have seen the sincerity in Rick’s face, because he nodded once and turned his gaze back to the ceiling.

Then, after another moment of silence, “Does that mean we can kiss again? You do that shit in relationships, right?”

Rick laughed, clinging to his side as it protested this new movement. “Yeah, you do that shit in relationships.”

Daryl rolled onto his side facing Rick. They looked at each other for a moment, just taking each other in. Rick leaned forward a bit, until they were breathing the same air. He didn’t go the entire way, though; Daryl was going to have to take that final step.

Daryl must have read the challenge in Rick’s eyes. He took a deep breath and leaned in, closing his eyes. His lips were soft this time, gentle. Slow. Rick closed his eyes and savored his taste. They explored each other’s mouths. Rick’s hand, which had never left Daryl’s abdomen even when he rolled over, rubbed up and down his stomach and chest. Daryl’s vest was open; Rick’s touch on his warm, bare skin had Daryl trembling and Rick’s hand tingling as if he’d been shocked.

They pulled apart eventually, needing to breathe. Rick rubbed over the jagged scar right under Daryl’s left peck. Daryl was watching Rick’s face closely.

“You thought I was staring at it last night,” he said quietly. Daryl kept quiet. “I wasn’t. I was just looking at your chest. And your abs,” he whispered, sliding his hand to each part of Daryl he named. Daryl closed his eyes.

“I know you don’t like your scars. Neither do I, really. Not because of how they look, but because they caused you pain. I don’t want you to be in pain.”

Daryl looked at Rick again, his eyes so sincere it made Rick’s heart ache.

“Neither do I,” he said softly.

 *****

Rick woke at dawn, his internal clock ripping him from his rest. He stretched and looked at Daryl. The redneck was curled into a ball facing Rick. He was awake, but probably hadn’t been for long. His eyes were still glazed over and his body was loose and relaxed. Rick looked down at their legs, which were tangled around each other. They’d done a little more kissing last night, and had drifted off to sleep pressed to each other.

“Gonna head back,” Daryl mumbled groggily. Rick nodded. “We gonna tell ‘em?”

“If you want to,” Rick said with a yawn.

“Don’t wanna be a secret. Don’t want you to have to hide me. Like you’re asha-“

“Stop. I will _never_ be ashamed of you. Whether we tell them or not.”

Daryl nodded. He got out of bed slowly and stretched. “Ain’t gotta make no big announcement, but I ain’t gonna hide it, either. Gonna kiss you whenever I want.”

Rick grinned, “Sounds good to me.”

The drive back, the two men were all smiles and small touches; Rick’s big, wide smile hardly left his face, and Daryl’s own small, shy smile lit up his face more often than not. Rick’s hand was on Daryl’s knee for most of the ride, but before they made it back to the prison, Daryl had nervously taken Rick’s hand in his own. Rick loved the way Daryl’s big, calloused hand enveloped his own.

As they pulled up the drive to the prison, waiting for the gates to be opened, Daryl shot Rick a look. Rick read his expression and held his gaze, having a silent conversation the way they’d always been able to.

_I’m nervous, Rick._

_I know, but it’ll be okay._ Rick squeezed Daryl’s hand, and Daryl gave him a nod and a shy little smirk before pulling up to the prison.

Rick saw his family running down the hill toward them; Carl, with Judith in his arms and Michonne in tow. Carol, Maggie, and Glenn close behind them. Hershel and Beth standing at the top of the hill, their smiles visible even from the car. And he smiled.

 _Yeah,_ Rick thought, _it’ll be okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. What'd you think? :) Let me know! And again, thanks for reading!


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